On July 2, 2020 the initiator and first scientific director of Eurandom, Willem van Zwet, passed away, 86 years old.
As a professor in mathematical statistics with a wide interest in probability and mathematics in general, he saw the possibilities of nondeterministic modelling for other sciences and societal applications. In his view the development of these parts of mathematics in Europe required a concentrated effort: a research institute for stochastics. The idea of Eurandom was born.
In the beginning of the nineties of last century he largely managed the process of requiring recognition of the scientific communities in Europe and realizing start-up funding. In 1997 he became the first scientific director of Eurandom.
Due to his extensive scientific network Eurandom had a flying start as an international institute in stochastics.
Willem was an eminent scholar with a sharp eye for the freedom and stimulation young researchers needed.
Stochastics and Eurandom are in great debt to him.